Russian-Speaking Tourist Jumps from Plane in Underwear
It«s impossible to follow every event in the world»s news stream. Therefore, we compile the main stories in this digest. Today, we sum up 30 January.
Finance Ministry Proposes Limiting Cash Deposits via ATMs
The Russian Ministry of Finance has developed a draft law establishing a limit on cash deposits through ATMs of no more than 1 million rubles per month ($10,400 at current rates). According to the explanatory note, the initiative«s goal is to counter the legalization of income from unspecified sources.
The document, which amends the federal law «On Banks and Banking Activities,» was sent for approval to the Central Bank and Rosfinmonitoring (Russia«s Federal Financial Monitoring Service) in mid-January, reports the Interfax news agency. The measure aligns with the government-approved plan for »whitening« the economy.
The Finance Ministry proposes a transitional period for banks to adapt to the new rules. The law is set to come into force 180 days after its official publication.
Dubai Plans a Golden Street
In Dubai (UAE), as part of creating a new specialized district for the jewelry industry, plans are underway to build a street paved with gold. The Independent reported on this.
The project«s initiator is the development company Ithra Dubai. According to authorities» concept, the «Golden Quarter» should attract tourists and buyers, emphasizing the importance of this precious metal for the emirate.
«Gold is tightly woven into the cultural and commercial fabric of Dubai, symbolizing our heritage, prosperity, and enduring entrepreneurial spirit,» said Ahmed Al-Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.
The new district, located near the historic Gold Souk, will include over 1,000 stores selling gold, jewelry, perfumes, and cosmetics, as well as six new hotels. The construction cost of the «golden street» has not yet been disclosed.
In Ufa, Teacher Beats Student with Belt in Class
A video is circulating on social media showing an adult man beating a schoolboy with a belt. The video«s author claims the footage depicts a teacher from Ufa Lyceum No. 161 and a student who misbehaved. The educational institution»s administration confirmed to UFA1.RU that they are investigating the incident.
According to the video«s author, the incident occurred during a seventh-grade lesson. He reported that the boy swore and disrupted the class, after which the teacher thrashed him and gave him a kick. The recording shows other children laughing, while the schoolboy himself is outraged.
Lyceum No. 161 stated that the situation is under review and promised to provide detailed explanations later. The prosecutor«s office of Bashkortostan has launched an investigation into the matter.
Smartphones in Russia to Become 10–30% More Expensive
Smartphone manufacturers have notified Russian retail chains of an upcoming 10–30% price increase for their products, Izvestia reports. Gadgets purchased at the new prices will go on sale in March–April 2026. Market participants cite a global shortage of memory chips, caused by surging demand from the artificial intelligence market, as the main reason for the price hike.
According to the publication, Chinese manufacturers have already sent out updated price lists with higher purchase prices. The most noticeable increase, according to sources, is expected in the mid- and high-end price segments, as well as for models with increased memory capacity. A representative of one manufacturer confirmed that the price increase is related to rising costs for RAM and storage memory due to high demand for AI solution components.
Living Minimum of 50,000 Rubles Proposed for Pensioners
A proposal in Russia aims to establish a unified basic social standard for pensioners — a living minimum of 50,000 rubles per month ($520 at current rates). The corresponding initiative was put forward by State Duma deputy Sergei Mironov in an appeal to Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov.
«Today this is at least 50,000 rubles, and this is exactly what a fair living minimum for a pensioner should be,» Mironov noted.
He justified his proposal by stating that as of 1 January 2026, the living minimum for pensioners is 16,200 rubles, which is 21% less than for the working-age population. According to the party leader, this creates age discrimination and the calculation methodology needs to be revised, RIA Novosti reports.
Russia Proposes Law to Ban Mass Blocking of Social Media and Messengers
A proposal in Russia seeks to legally ban the mass blocking of social networks and messengers for a wide range of users. A corresponding draft law is planned to be submitted to the State Duma on 30 January, one of its authors, deputy Sergei Obukhov, told RTVI.
The initiative involves amending the laws «On Information...» and «On Communications.» Its goal is to reduce public irritation over the restriction of citizens« digital rights and prevent »digital lockdowns.« The document»s authors, 17 deputies led by Sergei Obukhov, Nikolai Kolomeytsev, and Nina Ostanina, believe that blocking social networks and throttling their speeds are justifiably perceived by citizens as a restriction of constitutional rights.
In the explanatory note, the deputies point to the absence of official explanations when restricting the operation of services like Telegram and WhatsApp (owned by Meta corporation — an extremist organization whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation). The bill proposes to ban the blocking of the platforms themselves but preserve the right of supervisory authorities to restrict access to specific prohibited information within them.
Visa and Mastercard Owners Face Payment Glitches Due to Outdated Security Certificates
Owners of Visa and Mastercard bank cards may face payment rejections at checkouts. As associate professor Meri Valishvili from the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics told Prime news agency, some POS terminals may decline transactions with such cards, although they partially retain their functionality.
The reason for possible glitches lies in the expired security certificates on the cards, which are responsible for encrypting data during transactions. The certificates ceased to be valid on 1 January 2025, and after this date, it is impossible to verify the special code generated during an operation.
The expert also warned that prolonged use of such cards increases the risk of data theft by fraudsters, as effective protection methods become fewer.
Deadline for Unified State Exam Applications Extended
The application deadline for taking the Unified State Exam (EGE) in 2026 has been extended to 2 February inclusive. This was reported by the press service of Rosobrnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science).
The agency explained that, according to the procedure for conducting the state final certification, an application must be submitted by 1 February inclusive. However, this year that date falls on a Sunday, so the deadline was moved to the next business day, TASS writes.
Search for Missing Usoltsev Family Resumed
The search for the Usoltsev family, who went missing four months ago in the taiga of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, has been resumed. This was reported by the regional investigative committee«s main investigative department.
«The search has been resumed on the investigator»s instruction,« the Investigative Committee stated.
These are planned activities within the criminal investigation. Repeated searches are starting on 30 and 31 January, RIA Novosti learned. As clarified by the regional rescue service (Krasnoyarsk State Budgetary Institution «Spasatel»), they will take place in the area of the village of Kuturchin in Partizansky District.
Russian-Speaking Tourist Causes Ruckus on Plane and Jumps Out
A Russian-speaking tourist caused a ruckus on board an AirAsia plane and, after landing in Bangkok, jumped out of the cabin without waiting for the airbridge. The man injured his leg in the fall but was detained by Thai police. Footage of the incident spread on social media.
The incident occurred on a flight from Vietnam«s Nha Trang to Thailand»s Bangkok. According to witnesses and data from the Telegram channel Baza, the tourist behaved inappropriately even during the flight: he constantly ran to the toilet, argued with a flight attendant, and demanded to be let off the plane. Attempts to calm him down were unsuccessful: the man started screaming, tried to pick a fight with staff, then stripped down to his underwear and ran around the cabin.
As Baza reports, citing eyewitnesses, after landing the tourist aggressively demanded the door be opened and jumped onto the concrete apron. Injuring his leg, he tried to run away but was quickly detained. According to the Telegram channel, the offender now faces a serious fine or imprisonment under Thai law.
